NABARD Grade A Syllabus 2025: Complete Phase 1, Phase 2 & Interview Guide

The NABARD Grade A exam attracts graduates who harbor a wish to serve in rural development. This sublime service attracts prestige. It also attracts financial security, and yes, the opportunity to mold, direct, or design India’s agricultural economy. If you too aspire to be a Grade B officer at NABARD, you’ll have to manage the flow of credit, implement schemes, and support Indian farmers. But only if you succeed in entering its gates! And your success will depend on complete knowledge of the latest NABARD Grade A syllabus 2025. Your preparation will remain uncertain if you don’t have clarity from the very beginning of your preparation. When aspirants know exactly what to cover, they save time, avoid confusion, and get ready to confidently clear both Phases of the exam. So, before you drown yourself in study material, take a step back. And see the map first. The latest NABARD Grade A syllabus is that map. In this blog, we’ll tell you what’s inside the boundary and what’s outside. 

Overview

Let’s begin by understanding the structure of the exam! The NABARD Grade A exam is conducted by the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development. It recruits Assistant Managers for different streams like General, Agriculture, Fisheries, Forestry, Finance, and more.

The selection happens in three stages —

1. Preliminary Exam (Phase 1)

2. Mains Exam (Phase 2)

3. Interview (Phase 3)

The journey starts with screening, moves through testing, and ends with interaction. The process looks simple on paper, but each stage demands a different kind of preparation.

Here’s how the structure looks in one clean view:

NABARD Grade A Syllabus – Phase 1 (Prelims)

Phase 1 tests both speed and awareness. While some sections are qualifying, the real weight lies in the merit sections. Still, every section needs basic command. Check out the table below to learn about all the topics that combine to form the Phase 1 syllabus:

NOTE: Link news with syllabus topics to retain better.

NABARD Grade A Syllabus – ARD (Phase 1 & Phase 2)

Agriculture & Rural Development (ARD) remains the same in both phases; only the difficulty increases in Mains.

Agriculture Basics

• Definition, meaning, and branches of agriculture

• Agronomy: scope, principles, crop classification

• Cropping systems and agro-climatic zones

• Factors affecting crop production

• Precision farming and organic farming

Soil and Water Management

• Major soil types and soil fertility

• Fertilisers and soil erosion

• Soil conservation methods

• Watershed management

• Water resources and irrigation systems

• Micro-irrigation and water conservation techniques

Agri & Farm Engineering

• Farm power and machinery

• Sources of power (animal, solar, wind, biofuels)

• Water harvesting structures

• Farm ponds

• Agro-processing and storage systems

Horticulture & Plantation Crops

• Meaning and branches

• Production technology

• Post-harvest management

• Value and supply chain management

Animal Husbandry & Fisheries

• Livestock role in Indian economy

• Breeds, fodders, feeds

• Poultry production

• Fisheries resources and aquaculture

• Importance of fisheries

Forestry & Ecology

• Forest management and silviculture

• Agroforestry and social forestry

• Forest policies and legislation

• Climate change, GHGs, carbon credit

• IPCC, UNFCCC, COP meetings

• Government initiatives like NAPCC, SAPCC

Rural Development

• Rural economy structure

• Rural population and occupation

• Panchayati Raj Institutions

• Government schemes like MGNREGA, NRLM, PMAY-G

• Issues of rural labour and livelihoods

NABARD Grade A Syllabus – ESI (Phase 1 & Phase 2)

Economic & Social Issues (ESI) connects policy with people.

Indian Economy

• Nature and structure of Indian economy

• Economic reforms and liberalisation

• Globalisation and privatisation

• Inflation and its impact

• Employment generation and poverty alleviation

Agriculture & Industry

• Agricultural performance and food security

• Rural credit institutions

• Industrial policy and labour reforms

• Public sector enterprises

Financial System

• Financial institutions in India

• Banking sector reforms

• Rural banking

• Financial inclusion

Social Issues

• Population trends

• Urbanisation and migration

• Gender issues

• Education and health

• Social justice and affirmative action

International Economics

• IMF, World Bank, WTO

• Regional economic cooperation

• Global funding institutions

NABARD Grade A Syllabus 2025 For Interview

The NABARD Grade A Interview is the final and decisive stage after clearing Prelims and Mains. This is a Personal Interview where the panel judges not just what you know, but how clearly you think, communicate, and fit into NABARD’s role and responsibilities.

NABARD Grade A Interview Syllabus 2025

There is no defined or fixed syllabus for the Interview. Instead, your preparation should revolve around the following core areas:

Personal & Educational Background

You can expect questions around your academic qualifications and work experience. Be clear on why you want to join NABARD, how your background aligns with NABARD’s role, and your strengths, weaknesses, and long-term career goals.

Banking & Financial Awareness

This section tests your understanding of NABARD’s role, functions, and policies. You should be comfortable with basic banking terms, recent RBI and NABARD initiatives, and concepts related to financial inclusion, rural development, and agri-finance.

Agriculture & Rural Development

Be prepared with key government schemes linked to agriculture and rural development. Know NABARD’s role in rural credit and financial assistance, along with the major challenges faced by the agriculture sector in India.

Current Affairs & Economic Issues

Questions may revolve around recent economic developments in India and across the world. You should have clarity on the Budget, Economic Survey, important government reports, global events impacting the Indian economy, and issues related to climate change and sustainability.

Behavioral & Situational Questions

The panel may test how you respond to real-life situations. This includes handling difficult situations at work, assessing your decision-making ability, leadership skills, ethical judgment, and professional integrity.

Technical Questions (for Specialist Posts)

These questions are specific to the discipline you have applied for, such as Agriculture, Finance, IT, or other specialist roles. The focus is on how well you can apply your technical knowledge to NABARD’s actual functioning.

Interview Marks: The Interview carries a total of 50 marks. Final selection is based on the combined score of Mains (200 Marks) + Interview (50 Marks).

Final Words

The NABARD Grade A syllabus may look vast as an ocean at first glance. But when broken into parts, it becomes manageable. Topics repeat, and concepts connect, and the preparation becomes purposeful.